


Intimidating

by Gelphie_Supercorp_Emisue_etc17



Category: Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: Elphaba needs to smile more according to Galinda, Galinda sometimes has a hard time communicating, Hurt/Comfort, It’s after they get back from the Ozdust anyway lol, Kind of during or after Popular, Lots of Crying, One-Shot, TEEAARRRSSS, They’re cuties, and Elphaba doesn’t know how to help, and eventually she does, but Elphie helps, but it ends up fine and cute don’t worry, but it takes a second, but still lol, galinda feels guilty, galinda feels so guilty and Elphaba just wants to make it better, galinda has green eyes and you can't stop me hahaha, i have a whole other fic about that, kinda angsty if I’m being honest, lol I love them, lots of gelphie, melena loved elphaba btw, okay so this isn’t really romance but it’s so cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:13:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gelphie_Supercorp_Emisue_etc17/pseuds/Gelphie_Supercorp_Emisue_etc17
Summary: After the Ozdust party, Galinda tries to explain how her opinions of Elphaba have changed, and ends up not being able to. All she wants to do is apologize. Both girls end up crying, and Elphaba tries to comfort her new found friend. Galinda thinks Elphie needs to smile more.
Relationships: Elphaba Thropp & Galinda Upland, Elphaba Thropp/Galinda Upland
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	Intimidating

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as something almost completely different, but ended up as it is. I hope you like it!!

“Awww Elphie,” Galinda Upland giggled, her fingers gently playing with the ends of her roommates hair. “You’re adorable.”

Elphaba scrunched her eyebrows together, confused. “What do you mean?”

The blonde girl smiled, her bright green eyes twinkling. She reached a hand up to adjust the pink flower to a more secure place atop Elphaba’s head. “I used to think you were so mean and intimidating, but now. . .” Galinda trailed off, trying to find the correct word to describe the green girl. There was so much to her, and not just her green skin and terrible fashion sense. She was definitely rough around the edges, but when you looked closer, Elphaba was kind, loving, smart, and beautiful. Yes, her skin tone was shocking at first, but once Galinda got used to it, she saw that it was a delicate shade of emerald that she didn't even think the Emerald City had. And she also possessed the most wonderful hair, that, if Galinda was being honest with herself, she was quite jealous of. It was a deep, chocolate brown that matched her eyes and reached well past the middle of her back. In all, it was proving to be very difficult to find just one word that captured all of Elphaba at once.

Elphaba seemed interested, looking up at Galinda with those dark, searching eyes of hers. She reached over to grab Galinda’s pale hand in hers, squeezing it gently. “Now I am what?” she inquired, a bit of humor seeping into her words.

Galinda shook her head, curls bouncing this way and that. “Nothing,” her tone made it seem like it was the end of the conversation, but the way she stayed where she was, almost completely wrapped up Elphaba’s arms said otherwise.

“You can tell me Galinda,” Elphaba said honestly, trying for a smile. The last thing she wanted was to make this tiny, bubbly girl sad.

There was another pause in the conversation, again caused by Galinda thinking. Oz, she had been spending too much time with Elphaba, all this thinking was starting to hurt her head. “It’s just that. . . oh I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Try.”

“What?”

“Try,” Elphaba repeated, her smile growing.

Galinda looked at her for a moment, not quite sure what Elphaba was trying to say. Slowly, however, the blonde girl unwrapped herself from Elphaba’s arms and walked over to sit next to her on the bed. Her fingers glided over the frilly pink blanket, tracing the patterns over and over again as she thought. Galinda didn’t have to look at Elphaba to know that she was watching her. The green girl’s stare could break glass if she glared at it hard enough. After a few more moments, Galinda sighed. “I’m sorry. I get like this sometimes, not able to perfectly describe what I’m thinking. It’s frustrating, I know, and I am sorry.”

Elphaba frowned slightly, not really understanding how a girl like Galinda could feel that way. All she ever did was talk. Still, she said, “It’s alright, take your time. I don’t mind.”

Glancing up at her roommate, Galinda shot her a small smile. “Thank you.”

After that, there was a period of time where neither girl spoke, the silence comfortable and warm. They could hear the sounds of the party still in full swing, but it didn’t bother them. It was nice to know that they weren’t alone.

“I just feel terrible that I was so horrible to you Elphaba,” Galinda finally admitted, the words tumbling from her mouth so fast that Elphaba almost didn’t understand her.

But she did.

“Galinda you don’t have to—”

“But I do!” Galinda exclaimed without warning. It was much louder than how she usually spoke, and took both of them by surprise. Suddenly, Galinda felt tears sting her eyes, the weight of her horrendible behavior hitting her full force. “I do,” she whimpered, tears starting to fall. “I was a terrible person, and you didn’t deserve all of my hate and misdirected self consciousness. Everything I said and did to you, I thought would make me feel better about myself. I thought that if I told you that you were ugly, it would make me seem more beautiful. But it just made me feel worse, and more and more out of place. It was unfair and I am so, so sorry. You never deserved and will never deserve hate like that. You are too kind and smart and beautiful for someone to ever think that of you, and I am so sorry that I did.”

By now, Galinda was sobbing, her words coming out choked and broken. Her whole body trembled, tears streaming down her face in a seemingly endless flow. “I-I wish I h-h-hadn’t made you feel that way,” she cried, not even bothering to try and wipe away her tears. “I-I’m sorry E-Elphaba. . .”

In truth, Elphaba didn’t really know what to do. She had never really broken down like this, and had never witnessed anyone in her family do it either. So she just sat there, listening to Galinda sob, her eyes staring at her lap. People were clearly still at the party, but the sounds of celebration seemed muffled by the thick air of guilt in their room.

“Galinda I. . .” Elphaba started, the words getting lost on the way out.

Sniffling loudly, Galinda looked over at her roommate and saw the lost look on her face. It made her feel so much worse, knowing that she caused that look. Suddenly, Galinda stood up and rushed towards the door, trying in vain to wipe her tears away. “I’m sorry. I-I’ll just leave—” 

“Wait!”

Just before she was about to leave, however, she felt a hand catch her wrist. Galinda slowly turned around, her hand slipping off of the door handle to hang by her side. She sniffled.

“Wait,” Elphaba said again, softer this time. There was yet another moment of quiet before Elphaba spoke again. “I've never really seen someone cry that much before, especially over what they've done to me. I’ve experienced so much hate over the years, my own family included, that it didn’t really phase me. Yes, you were rude and snooty and indelicate with your words,” this made Galinda giggle the tiniest bit through her tears. “But I want you to know, that you standing here with me right now, and being willing to touch, talk and be friends with me, means so much more than all of that. I’ve never really been loved before, and the only person that did is dead,” by now, even Elphaba has tears in her eyes. Galinda reached a hand up to wipe them away as they fell, cupping the green girl’s face in the process. “Everyone sees the green, and not the girl underneath. But you, no matter what you might have done in the past, are the only person alive who has ever seen through it and been okay with me. Thank you, Galinda. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being you and seeing more than the green.”

Galinda smiled and laughed, her tears now happy. “Well jeez, Elphie, don’t really know what to say.”

Elphaba smiled as well, giving the smaller girl a tight hug. “You don’t have to say anything,” she said, pulling back again and gently poking Galinda in the nose, making them both giggle. The two girls slowly made their way back to Galinda’s bed, sitting on the end of it and watching the party outside unfold silently. After the wild events from the evening, it felt good to just sit next to each other, Galinda leaning into Elphaba’s side and Elphaba softly stroking her blonde curls.

“Hey, Elphie?” Galinda said quietly as they watched some Shiz students dance their way outside and proceed to vomit in the bushes next to Madame Morrible’s favorite gazebo.

“Yes Galinda?” Elphaba replied, turning her head to look down at her roommate.

“You’re beautiful.”

Elphaba smiled gently, continuing to pet Galinda’s soft blonde locks. “Thank you my sweet. So are you.”

Galinda blushed at the nickname, smiling. “And you know,” she added after a moment. “You look much less intimidating when you smile.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed!!<3


End file.
